Actias selene

Taxobox
name = Indian Moon Moth


image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Actias selene", adult male
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Saturniidae
genus = "Actias"
species = "A. selene"
binomial = "Actias selene"
binomial_authority = (Hübner, 1807)

The Indian Moon Moth or Indian Luna Moth ("Actias selene") is a species of moth. This species is popular among amateur entomologists and is often reared from eggs or cocoons that are available from commercial sources.

Range

This moth is quite widespread, found from India to Japan and then south into Nepal, Ceylon, Borneo, and other islands in eastern Asia. Many subspecies live in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Russia, China, Java, Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Borneo.

Adult

Male: Head, thorax, and abdomen white; palpi pink, prothorax with a dark pink band; legs pink. Fore wing very pale green, white at base; a dark pink costal fascia, darkest along subcostal vein: an outwardly-oblique pale yellow antemedial line ; two inwardly-oblique slightly curved submarginal lines; a pale yellow marginal band; a dark red-brown lunule at end of cell, with a grey line on it, bounding inwardly a round ochreous spot with pinkish centre. Hind wing similar to the fore wing ; the central portion of the tail pinkish.Female: The outer margin less excised and waved; the yellow markings less developed; the antemedial line of fore wing nearer the base., and that on hind wing absent; the tail less pink. [Hampson, G. F. Fauna of British India. Moths. Volume 1]

Life Cycle

Eggs are 2 mm, colored white with extensive black and brown mottling. Incubation lasts approximately 12 days and newly hatched larvae are red with a black abdominal saddle. Second instar larvae are all red with black heads. It is not until the third instar that larvae take on a green color. The developing larvae prefer humid conditions.

Larva

Larva apple-green; paired dorsal and lateral yellow spinous tubercles on each somite except the last; dorsal yellow hairs; lateral and ventral black hairs; the pad to anal claspers rufous.

Pupa

Cocoon pale brown and oval.

Images of Life Cycle

commons|Actias selene

Host Plants

*"Liquidambar" (Sweetgum)
*"Rhododendron"
*"Prunus" (including Cherry)
*"Malus" (including Apple)
*"Coriaria"
*"Pieris" (Andromeda)
*"Hibiscus"
*"Salix" (Willow)
*"Crataegus" (Hawthorn)

Trivia

In Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, an Indian Moon Moth serves as a messenger between Gwaihir and Gandalf.

References

External links

http://www.butterflies.be

Videos

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lsGZCliEMA Fourth instar eating]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnIUdtDeQYc Fifth instar eating] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAOtAZSNfKs Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqG96ismI1s Part 3]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hknDo3oF0 Moth emerging from pupa] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMKulHJ8na8 Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q4awPXb1I Part 3]